The latest Goodreads giveaway that this pedometer geek read was Ella Carey’s Paris Time Capsule. It is the debut novel of the author, and it was originally published as an indie novel in 2014 before being published by the current publisher, Lake Union Publishing, this year. Although received as a giveaway, that in no way affected this extended review.

Catherine Jordan (Cat for short), a photographer who lives in New York, receives a mysterious package in the mail as the novel opens. The return address, written in fading sepia ink, is an address in Paris, France. Opening the package she discovers a typed letter and an old brass key. Thus begins a mystery that she must solve as to why she is inheriting the estate of a person with whom she is unfamiliar. This event turns her world upside down as she immediately travels to Paris.

Her boyfriend Christian, a young, handsome businessman, suggests she deal with the situation simply. Just accept it as it is, move on, and then return to their life together; however, balancing both the estate and her boyfriend isn’t easy, especially when she meets Loic Archer, the grandson of the woman whose estate she is to inherit.

All Cat wants to do is give the estate to the rightful owner, to the nearest relative of Isabelle de Florian, the woman who owned the apartment and its contents. This apartment has been closed up for seventy years, seemingly abandoned. Up until the lawyer, Monsieur LaPointe, contacts the family, neither Loic nor his family are aware of its existence, nor do they know anything about it, however.

This starts Cat, as well as Loic, on a quest to figure out what the connection between herself and the woman who left the apartment so many years earlier. She wants to find out why she has inherited; who the woman really was; and the mysterious circumstances of her disappearance from Paris. Moreover, why did she never tell her own family about the apartment or change the will over the years? Finding the answers makes for compelling reading about the times and people of this apartment.

Yet, in the background, is Christian, who wishes to marry Cat. He wants her back in New York with him, planning their wedding. In the end, ultimately Cat must choose what she wants for herself and what she is willing to let go. This novel is not only an insight into the history of the time from the late 1890s to 1940s, but it is also a romance.

*****

While this is a fictional novel, it is based on the actual event of a recently discovered apartment once owned by a famous demimondaine (a courtesan) called Marthe de Florian of the Belle Époque period. Found within was a painting of Marthe de Florian, which was found to have been painted by Boldini, who was known as the master of swish.

Recently, this pedometer geek happened to read Michelle Gable’s A ParisApartment; it, too, covered similar material as Paris Time Capsule, but Gable’s novel was totally different in style and approached the tale from the point of view of the apartment’s history and its inhabitants. For those who enjoy Paris, this time period, some of the same characters, and other similarities, they may enjoy reading both.

This reader not only enjoyed both authors’ stories about Marthe de Florian and her apartment, but also looks forward to the next novel in Carey’s Time Capsule series.

Normally this pedometer geek only does extensive reviews of books received through giveaways, but every once in a while, a book or an author needs to be highlighted. This is especially true of books that are not published through traditional presses. Indie authors and books are some of the best books being written and published, yet don’t get the respect or recognition that they deserve. This is one such author, and this is an extensive review of his latest novel, The Dark Lights.

The Dark Lights
by Nick Shamhart
Published by BookBaby, 2015
ISBN: 978148355872 and 9781517178024 (depending on the format)

A fantasy novel, The Dark Lights, is the story of Erik, a young man who, from a young age, saw things out of the corner of his eye and finally (in what he describes as sheer cowardice) escapes through a door into other worlds. In so doing, he sets off a chain of events that includes the Dark Lights, monstrous creatures who chase him from world to world over a long period of time.

How long he has been running from them; how many worlds he has visited in his quest to return home; how he has managed to escape and stay alive, the story doesn’t totally indicate. This is Erik’s reality, though. The Dark Lights are after him, and the story, narrated by Erik himself, begins when he sees things others don’t and frankly, it scares the heck out of him.

Calling himself primarily Erik the Runner, Erik is a self-deprecating, sarcastic, philosophical male, making him a narrator with a point of view that is sometimes hilarious, sometimes ironic, and always reliable (or not). For Erik, his reality is described in pop cultural references…from the Three Stooges (and yes, Erik believes that Larry Fine is the ultimate Stooge, yet he is not the only one to feel that way even though Moe was my favorite, but I digress) to the Kardashians to Hee Haw to SPAM to Descartes to everything in between. Added to all these references are wise (and not so wise) observations and reflections about the world.

Along the way through various worlds, Erik becomes acquainted with Janus, a goddess, and picks up Kiva, a young woman from a visit to one of the worlds he visits. He discovers more about himself, too, and what it means to be human.

The novel is worth reading for all the pop culture references alone, but the humor of the protagonist’s thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and actions add to the enjoyment of the material. Frankly, there are some real laugh-out-loud moments as this reader frequently discovered. Rooting for Erik and Kiva, understanding the duality of Janus, and then solving the final mystery makes for a fantastic read.

Does Erik ever get back home or do the evil Dark Lights finally catch up to him? There’s only one way to find out…read the novel!

The only downside was that in the Kindle e-book copy, there were a few typos/errors in the text; however, the fact that the author used the Oxford comma offset this reader’s irritation. Of course, this reader loves the Oxford comma; consider it one of many of this pedometer geek’s quirks.

***************************************************************

This reader has read most of this author’s works. Nick Shamhart doesn’t write in any particular genre. He has written a metaphysical series called The Balance*, a non-traditional romance called The Knight’s Wife, and a YA novel called The Fog Within, which is a highly recommended personal favorite. Be sure to check them out, too, as he is an indie author worth reading.

* The Balance: Grey is the only one of The Balance series read, but there are three others that still await this pedometer geek. The others referenced above have all been read and enjoyed.

Discovering new authors is one of the joys of receiving Proofs or Advanced Reader Copies of books through giveaways. Received as a Goodreads First Reads giveaway, this latest novel, Whisper Beach, is no exception. This is the first time this pedometer geek read a book by Shelley Noble, but it definitely won’t be the last. Hopefully, there may even be a sequel to this story. Here is the extended review.

Whisper Beach
by Shelley Noble
Published by William Morrow, 2015
an imprint of HarperCollins Publisher
ISBN: 978-0-06-231916-6

You can’t go home again, or can you? That’s the premise behind the chick-lit novel, Whisper Beach. Shelley Noble writes a tale of a woman who returns to her home town of Whisper Beach, New Jersey. For Vanessa Moran (known as Van to her friends and family), this seems to be the truth behind her return…can she go home again? Does she even want to?

As the back cover blurb indicates, fifteen years earlier, at age seventeen, Van fell in love and lost her virginity, but not to the same boy. Pregnant, desperate, and humiliated, she fled town with her secret intact.

Reappearing after all this time for her cousin Gigi’s (and her best friend while growing up) husband’s funeral, Van plans to make a brief appearance and then leave right after the event. Unresolved issues from her past seem to overwhelm the girl, now a woman, who is otherwise in control and successful as a businesswoman in New York City.

Despite this, old friends (Suze and Dorie especially) welcome and convince her to stay on for a few days, at least. However, her lingering issues are still at the forefront even as new troubles loom and perceptions of the past change.

A few days become a week, and then two when Van helps Dorie reorganize and streamline the Blue Crab, Dorie’s restaurant. Van also reconnects with her old love, Joe, but it is not a smooth transition as both are dealing with lingering hurt from the past. He has never stopped loving her (and she, him), but he is wary about trusting her again.

As the summer progresses, trouble comes from unexpected sources, which will have Van rethinking the past and re-evaluating the friendships she once took for granted.

The characters of Van, Dorie, Suze, Joe, Gigi, Dana, and others are well drawn. The dialogue is realistic as is the setting of a beach town, making this a perfect beach read. Yet, some heavy issues like abuse are also present in the story so the story isn’t all fluff.

If this is a standalone novel, the ending is like life…who knows where it will take these characters next. If there is a sequel planned, so much the better as the ending left so much up in the air as to the resolution of some issues with which the protagonist is dealing. Personally, this reader would like to know what next for Van and the other characters.